So, it's been almost a month since Alan got down on one knee, and I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed.
Normally I find wedding blogs to be incredibly self-involved and narcissistic, but I'm hoping this will help me to remember, manage, and ensure everything I need to do actually gets done.
At first, we didn't even have a state, but I think we've both pretty much come to terms with having it in CA. Though at first I was adamant about not wanting to have it here, I've started to realize that as difficult as this is going to be (since planning is not my forte), it would be exponentially harder to try to have it somewhere else.
The date still eludes me. I'm slowly narrowing in, but it isn't easy. I like the idea of Spring, but early Spring is rainy here so I was thinking April or potentially early May would be nice. I really like April. So now the question is, April 2013 or 2014? I don't like the idea of long engagements, and I don't know that I can handle almost 2 years of wedding talk and wedding thoughts and wedding planning. April 2013 seems far more appealing in that regard. But, it's pretty soon (at least in Wedding-time), and all of these unexpected considerations and conflicts keep coming up:
The second weekend in April is right before tax day, which should probably be avoided in case we have any procrastinators on the guest list.
The third weekend in April is going to be the Toad Party (my Aunt and Uncle's annual huge anniversary party). I would feel guilty co-opting that.
The fourth weekend in April Alan's sister-in-law and his nephew are in another wedding.
And, the second weekend in May is finals week for my brother and sister, so they are going to be really busy studying at least the week before then.
And then we're into mid-May! Everyone says to just do what you want to, but what if what I want is to make sure everyone who wants to come is able to? Is there a way to do that without compromising?
Toad Party weekend is absolutely not an option, as far as I'm concerned. Tax weekend seems inconsiderate, but I guess it's still on the table, as is the last weekend in April. Though I would hate for Alan's sister-in-law and nephew to miss it, it would be a different story if his brother were unable to come.
There are other issues with 2013, too. Like dress shopping. I had been planning on going shopping in December when I'm home next, but that is not leaving a lot of time to order and do alterations...even though I'm not thrilled about it, I might need to buy something without my mom having seen it. I wonder if that is an experience I would miss terribly.
We've started looking at venues, with the hopes that if we find a place we like, their availability will help us make the decision. So far nothing has really spoken to us, though.
The Vineyards of Simi Valley-- This place has fantastic reviews, and the staff seemed quite nice. We are probably only going to end up with a final guest count of 50-75, though, and the room we really like has a minimum of 120. :(
Culver Events-- The woman who showed us around this place was very nice, and the size works for what we will probably end up with. We weren't really feeling the whole vibe, though. It all felt a bit haphazard, and the parking situation is a special kind of nightmare. So no on that one.
This week we have 2 more places we're going to check out. I have high hopes for them, but for different reasons.
Rococo Room at Cafe Santorini-- This place we are going to check out largely because all the reviews rave about the food. Far too many a wedding has been had with bland, boring food. The space isn't exactly what I was imagining, and it's hard to know exactly how it will all fit into our budget since all their prices are a la carte. In addition, though they have had ceremonies there in the past, they aren't really set up for it, which could leave us needing to find a suitable ceremony location, which we were hoping to avoid. But if the food is that good, it is at least worth a look.
Wedgewood at Sterling Hills-- This is a Golf Course/Country Club venue, which I'm not a fan of because Idon'tknowwhy. I guess because it just seems so generic, somehow. But oh the ease of it all! They have what has to be the most budget-planning-friendly package setup I have ever seen. It would make the planning so so so much easier (in that we wouldn't have to do much of it ourselves)! My mom keeps telling me to go with an open mind, because even though I think it will be generic, there are still a lot of personal touches that can be added through flowers, favors and the colors that will make it more personal. I have high hopes that it will be a top contender.
And, then, on the 14th, we are going to visit my favorite thus-far. Not sure how it will pan out budget-wise, but oh it sure is pretty. :)
Corondelet House-- This place is a 1920's villa in the middle of downtown L.A. It is gorgeous inside. Just gorgeous. Not sure if it will be way too big for our little gathering, but if we can swing it somehow I would would be overjoyed. Love love love. But, like I said, a little on the pricey side.
So we will see how those go, and hopefully soon we'll figure out our budget (which I am told helps with this whole process), and then we can finally settle on a date and get that information out to our guests (either in the form of Save the Dates or Invites). We are narrowing in on those designs, too, but nothing final just yet.
And, of course, the guest list keeps growing...
